--- joanna <123hop at comcast.net> wrote:
> Sorry, Woj, disagree. The "strange" and "wacky"
> ideas pushed by the left
> are things like peace, saving the environment,
> universal health care,
> support for the disabled, universal education....
> not at all strange or
> wacky. I think
I am afraid you missed my point, Joanna. They are not "strange" and "wacky" to us, or for that matter to the majority of the EU public. They are "strange" and "wacky" to the US public, even those otherwise sympathetically predisposed. I recall Justin reporting some time ago that his own kids found the idea of socialism impractical and unworkable. So if 'red diaper' kids hold such views - what would you expect form the general public?
I argued that the reason why the general public in this country views such views as "strange" and "wacky" is because it is not very familiar with them - and anything unfamilar often looks "strange" and "wacky." The reason for that unfamiliarity, furthermore, is the absence of legitimate left wing institutions that would disseminate, popularize and legitimate such ideas.
In short, the ideas of the Left that you listed above are not "strange" and "wacky" by themselves - they appear "strange" and "wacky" - or perhaps "impractical" and "unworkable" - because they have not been disseminated, promoted and legitmized by legitmate national institutions in this country. If I were to use an analogy, Jews used to be not taken seriously and written-off politically and culturally until they were backed by a national institution - the state of Israel. And what a difference did this backing make...
(caveat 1: this is not a blanket endorsement of Israeli policies; caveat 2 : this does not imply that some of the ideas expressed by the parts of the US left are not wacky by most generally accepted standards).
Wojtek
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